Go Reid! Look at those strong neck muscles! We’ve had a few good tummy times lately but in all honestly sometimes the days go by and it’s bedtime and I realize we haven’t done any at all! Oops! But his neck continues to get stronger. Each day he seems to change and this week we’ve noticed that he is really following voices and people with his eyes much more. He also has been smiling more frequently in response to something you may say or do to him and he has many facial expressions. There is no doubt he is continuing to gain weight at a good pace as he just FEELS heavier when you pick him up. I call him a tank. We also moved the shoulder straps in his car seat up a notch as he is getting longer!
The work continues on Reid’s closet, but we are nearing the end! The drawer unit that Kevin built is in place and he is cutting and installing the shelves. Then it will be touch-up painting and putting things into the closet, yay! 
I love how Griffin wants to regularly cuddle with Reid. When in comes in our room in the mornings he is always excited if “Reidy” is awake and he can snuggle up with him. 
For the 4th of July we were invited to the Pilgrim’s home in Dublin. They have a fun gathering of food and friends and the evening concludes with a prime view of the Dublin fireworks which we are able to walk to directly behind their house! This year we took blueberry-amaretto squares which were delish. But I’ve decided that I need to make a half recipe as there is always so much leftover when there are many options at a pot luck! So I’ve been eating the leftovers here….yikes!
When we did tummy time this particular evening Griffin was so encouraging to Reid, it was really cute to watch. He was so excited for him when he got his head held so high!
We have a bit of a problem with our gutters! With all of this rain lately it’s apparent that our front gutters outside our bedroom window and the back gutters on the patio need some love. The screens on top of the gutters perhaps aren’t meant to take in the volume of rain that we’ve been receiving in this big downpours lately. So, another project for the list.
On Friday we headed to the new Duck Donuts near Polaris to pick up Saturday morning treats. I didn’t realize that you choose a glaze, topping, and drizzle and that the donuts are made to order! I stayed in the car with Reid while Griffin and Kevin went in and selected the patriotic assortment along with a custom one I requested :). Afterward we headed to Star Lanes for a couple games of bowling. Griffin has been asking to go bowling for two weeks so he was quite excited!
Saturday was another game of t-ball and also team photos. Thankfully we made it there early, with his glove, bat, and hat and a big smile! Also this week Finn got to be the last batter, which means his hit is a grand slam home run! I was able to record it, check out the video below. 
Brutus is happiest when he is touching a human or Lily! He regularly cuddles right up next to her or touches her body in some way when they are in the same room. He also loves the outdoors and constantly chews on sticks!
And check out this cutie! Again, filling out 3-month outfits really well 🙂
It’s been a fairly uneventful week around here other than for Lily’s recovery. She continues to do really well. It just takes time to care for her and take her out individually on a leash. But I’ve got a good routine down, especially in the morning when I get up and come downstairs. I’ve learned the trick to giving her all of her meds (of which she takes about 7 pills twice a day!) is to put them on top of wet/canned dog food. She pretty much will eat them like candy! Then I end by giving her a spoonful of just plain food (no pills) and give some to Brutus to for being a patient and calm observer. Lily and Brutus enjoy playing with each other (which is basically them growling and biting at each other over the baby fence) throughout the day. I really think that Lily enjoys the protection and peace and quiet of having her own room and playspace. She’s especially been loving laying on the dog bed and blanket that my mom made to go in her crate during her recovery. Isn’t it the cutest? It is cream-colored, which my mom picked on purpose to match her furry coat. Moms are just the best :). 
Griffin enjoys being in the playpen with Lily and keeping her company. He usually takes in a puzzle or quiet toy to play with while he lays down beside her. 
Our night time routine is obviously much different since Lily can’t navigate stairs for the next 2 months. So now it is just Brutus in Finn’s room during bedtime. He still is enjoying the cuddles. 
This was a week full of medical appointments for many! To start the week we took Brutus to the vet for some potty issues. He’s been having pretty runny stools (thankfully all outside) and I’m just not sure what the cause is so we took him in to get checked out. They ran a stool sample test and he is worm free (which was one of my worries) but they sent us home with a broad spectrum medication to give him. I honestly think it may be his food so we may try a different brand/flavor next. The vet said he’s a young pup and it also could just be sticks, dirt, and various things that he is eating (other than his actual food). The good news is he continues to gain wait and get taller. Check him out at the office!
Next up on Tuesday, March 21st, was Lily’s appointment at the OSU Veterinary Medical Center to consult with the ortho doctor and drop her off for surgery for her torn CCL in her right knee. The vet hospital is quite nice as they’ve just remodeled the entire waiting area. It is a huge and very bright lobby – and very well sanitized as it smells a bit like bleach! Lily was really chill in the waiting area and did great in the room while I talked to the Drs. They then took her back and she spent the next two nights there. The first night they kept her so she’d be there in the morning to prep for surgery on Wednesday. She did really well through the procedure. Though the Dr. called me to tell me that when prepping her and shaving her leg and body for surgery one of the technicians found a mass on her left (other) leg. They did a quick biopsy and it is a Mast Cell Tumor, which is cancerous. She recommended waiting to do anything on it since it would require a good size area to be removed and then stitched up. She thought it best to do the originally planned knee surgery and then tackle the MCT at her follow up visit in two weeks. She awakened well from the anesthetic and I got frequent calls from the vet tech to give me updates on her recovery. I was able to pick her up on Thursday and bring her home. She has to wear the cone of shame for at least 2 weeks (then likely 2 more for her MCT removal surgery) and she and Brutus need to be separated. We’ve transformed our kitchen area into a nice dog rehab facility. Lily is only allowed outside on a leash to go potty and then come right back in. It will be that way for the next 2-3 weeks, so when Lily needs to go out Mr. Brutus goes into his crate. 
Next up was Griffin who went to his 4-year well-check exam on Tuesday afternoon. He checked out really well and as always was a champ with his shots. He got four this time and the last one the nurse had a bit of a time – she had to poke him twice to get it in! But he just flinched and made a face – didn’t even cry. He weighed in at 35.4 pounds (46th Percentile), 40.25″ tall (49th percentile) with a Body Mass Index of 15.4% (41st percentile). So he’s right in the middle and his growth charts all look really great. To celebrate a good visit and a champ shot taker we headed to Target and Finn picked out some bath toys. He was also given his choice of toys from the doctor and he chose a small dog lovey. Finally we ended up at none other than Graeter’s for a sundae. 
And here are a few others from our week, including Finn’s first piece of stained glass (aka sticker art) that was given to him for his birthday from Mr. Chad. 
On Saturday Kevin and Finn, along with all of the Bethune’s, attended the Columbus Blue Jackets Hockey Game for Boy Scout Day. They all had a great time and Finn was treated to a CBJ jersey (as his other hockey jersey was a size 12M that he was still wearing, lol!). I stayed home to chill with Lily. She continues to do great, but she is on many medications (for which I literally made a chart for the week to ensure I do them all correctly and don’t miss anything!) and she needs warm and cold compresses 2-3 times a day both at the incision site on her knee and on her ankle (where all the swelling tends to be). 
And Finn had a fun adventure to the zoo again this week. I’m thankful that Debbie puts pictures of the activities and fun things he does each week in the app we use. One day they had a taco bar for lunch and also you can see him helping get the asparagus ready to cook. And I just love the last one which captures Finn’s expression quite well. 
